


The Tales of One Dr Harvey Yena

by FracturedSpine



Series: NPCs of COD Zombies [1]
Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Ascension, COD Zombies - Freeform, Call of Duty: Zombies, Ultimis, group 935, one shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-01-15 15:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21255245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FracturedSpine/pseuds/FracturedSpine
Summary: A selection of one shots regarding Dr Yena's work with Group 935 and its demise. Set in the Ultimis timeline. Largely featuring Dr Richtofen and based upon the radios of Tag der Toten.Part of the npcs of cod zombies, following Dr Yena, Schuster, Groph and Gersch through both the Ultimis and Primis timelines.





	1. The Sudden Disappearance of Peter McCain

It had been a week since Harvey Yena had seen or heard from Peter McCain and he was beginning to get worried. He had heard rumours, spoken in German floating through the factory, but still his German was good enough. 

They told tales of espionage, a traitorous American spy and his justly death. 

But he paid them no mind as his superior, Dr Ludwig Maxis told him otherwise. He reassured him, much like a father would reassure their child that Peter was safe, alive and well. 

And so Yena continued his work, occasionally joining in with the German triumph of catching their fabled traitor. 

But everything changed with the return of Dr Richtofen from Japan.

A lanky young boy, a messenger, had called him to Dr Maxis’s office and immediately he downed his work and began the trek through the labyrinthine halls to his superior’s office. 

The corridors had largely been quiet, but the few people he did encounter stared at him in disgust or worry.

That was how he knew things had changed.

Yena knocked lightly on Ludwig’s door. He did not wait for the man to answer, instead he threw himself in the office, anxious of being alone in the corridor any longer. 

He looked up at Maxis who held a solemn and troubled expression upon his face.

“Please sit.” Maxis spoke largely to no one, not making eye contact with his visitor. Yena sat down before Ludwig’s desk and watched him pour a glass of whiskey and take a sip.

“I’m sorry Dr Yena,” Maxis began, “but it appears I was wrong.”

He didn’t need to hear the next few words Maxis would say as he already knew them.

“Peter McCain was a spy and he has been dealt with accordingly.” 

Maxis took another sip of his whiskey. 

“I have a report here,” Maxis retrieved a brown folder and threw it on his desk haphazardly, “that you are also an American spy, Dr Yena.”

He was panicking inside, his heart hammering with fear in his chest, but yet he knew he had to retain his peaceful and naive facade. 

He looked up at the report, he knew whose handwriting that was, which one of Group 935 had ratted them out.

He forced himself to give no reaction, he had to, if he wanted to keep his life.

“Dr Yena?” Maxis questioned curtly, his glass of whiskey now empty. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just so much to take in.” Yena took a deep breath and calmed himself. “I-I had no idea that McCain was a spy.” 

He had tried his hardest to feign grief and confusion. He only hoped it would not be too late for him. 

“And you?” Maxis hissed, dropping the glass on the desk.

“I’m no spy, sir.”

Maxis collapsed to his seat, his head in his hands, staring at the report. It was the elephant in the room and both of them knew it would have to be dealt with.

“Good… good.” Maxis muttered to himself. He looked up at him. “I like you Yena, always have done. I trust you.”

And suddenly Yena felt pity for the man before him. They both knew what would happen if that report was found out to be true. It would not only be Yena’s life on the line. 

“I trust you.” Maxis repeated, thumbing the glass in front of him, no doubt from nerves. “Please do not disappoint me.” 

Yena took this as his moment to leave, he hurried out of the office, half slamming the door behind him.

He began a brisk walk back to his office, hoping desperately not to be seen.

But he could hear footsteps behind him, the metal clicking of jackboots on concrete. 

He forced himself to slow his gait in order to not look suspicious. 

“Dr Yena.” He cringed inwardly, of all people why did it have to be him that was following him, the owner of the report, the one that had no doubt killed Peter McCain, Dr Edward Richtofen.

Yena turned around to face Dr Maxis’s assistant.

Gone was Richtofen’s usual scowl, instead replaced with what could only be described as a joyous grin, he had his hands clasped behind his back as he stalked ever closer. 

Yena sighed, steeling himself for whatever taunts the man would give. 

“So how did Dr Maxis find my little account?” The man smiled, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. 

“I told him I’m not a spy.” Yena held his gaze with the German, despite how difficult it proved to be.

“And he let you keep your job? Pity.” There was no disappointment in Richtofen’s tone. It was as if he had expected it.

The German looked up and straightened himself to his full height. Richtofen was only an inch or two taller, but it didn’t stop him from being any less intimidating. 

Yena didn’t say a word, not wanting his voice to betray him, so he let the doctor speak.

“You Americans are all so stupid and ignorant. But now there is one less of them, hmmm?” 

He flinched at the words and Richtofen’s grin widened. 

“Surely you would like to know how Peter died?” He watched in fear as the man’s expression shifted to something darker. Yena did not move, instead he stared at the iron cross that hung around the man’s neck. 

“His parachute failed.” His voice was a low whisper. “He got caught up in his cords, they wrapped around his neck.”

Yena shifted, trying to move away from Richtofen, but he only closed the gap further.

“He got caught in a tree and broke his neck. It was instant.” The German clicked his fingers. There was a kind of sadistic gleam in his eyes and it terrified him. 

“I know you are a spy, Harvey. It will only be a matter of time before I get to you.”

They were nose to nose. Yena had his back against the wall, his arms outstretched, holding himself against the concrete. Richtofen slowly brought his left hand up to Yena’s neck and gently began to apply pressure. The leather of his glove was cold. 

In the corner of his eye, he watched as Maxis’s door opened and the man stepped out. He stared at him, trying desperately to make eye contact, begging for help. 

Eventually Maxis noticed. He sighed and lit a cigarette. He looked extremely tired. 

“Come along, Edward.” Maxis spoke, the cigarette still in his mouth, ignoring their little confrontation. Richtofen gave a reluctant nod and wordlessly released Dr Yena.

Dr Maxis had begun walking to the testing facilities and Edward hurried to catch up.

“Goodbye, Dr Richtofen.” Yena uttered, watching him walk away, trying his best to mask his fear.

He did not receive a reply.


	2. The Demise of Pablo Marinus

Dr Yena had succeeded in avoiding Edward Richtofen for some time. He had stuck close to the little protection that Dr Maxis’s superiority offered. He knew it was childish, but he had no intention of being executed by a Wehrmacht General. 

He had heard from Schuster that the man was unwell, that he would ramble on about some kind of alien race that inhabited the moon. 

Yena frowned, such things were of the mindless German propaganda, pursued by their precious Reichsführer. He thought it pathetic that anyone would buy into it so easily. 

However, his fear of the man was still unwavering, he knew the truth and yet he had no idea how. As a result, Yena had been more meticulous in his reports back to the US. He knew his cover was a good as blown. 

He was only alive because of one man’s kindness. 

He had been forced to mourn Peter McCain’s death in private, forced to mock his demise and celebrate German victory. He could feel the krauts watching over him every minute of the day, scrutinising him for any traitorous activities. 

It made McCain’s death no easier. 

Eventually the day came when Dr Maxis pulled him aside and asked him to help with the super soldier experiments.

Initially, Yena had declined, too focused on his work with the Scavenger, but Dr Maxis pressed the matter. Yena had no choice.

He had been paired with Maxis’s assistant. 

He had been informed that he would be administering the element to the test subjects. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. 

But instead Yena walked into what could only be described as a makeshift operating theatre. The Mexican test subject lay strapped to a table, wiring jammed into his body and a large incision across his torso. 

Dr Richtofen loomed over the body, a scalpel in his hand and a strange expression upon his face. 

Yena gave a nervous cough. 

The German looked up and upon seeing Dr Yena, his expression changed to a scowl of disscontempt, before promptly returning to his work and ignoring Yena’s presence. 

He sighed, shuffling a few steps forwards.

“Dr Richtofen? Yena frowned. “Dr Richtofen, what are you doing?”

“I thought Dr Maxis had told you that.” Richtofen gave a snide reply, not bothering to look up. 

“He told me we would be injecting the test subjects, not operating on them.”

“We are injecting them, Dr Yena,” Richtofen sighed, this time turning to face Yena. “directly into their organs, into the kidneys, liver, spleen and if necessary, the base of the skull.” He placed his hand over the subjects torso, tracing over the organs they would inject.

Yena bit his lip, steeling himself for the work he was about to undertake. Tentatively he approached the body. Richtofen watched him, smiling.

“I thought about beginning with the spleen.” The German began and Yena looked at the incision.

Yes, they would begin with the spleen.

“I need you to hold the opening whilst I inject the serum.” Richtofen instructed. “Do you think you can do that, Dr Yena?”

He nodded.

But instead the German gave a look of disapproval.

“Your hands are shaking.” Yena looked down at his hands, and sure enough they were trembling. Ignoring it, he reached for the forceps and readied himself. 

“Very well.” Richtofen said, picking up the syringe filled with the glowing blue liquid.

But as they began their experiment, Dr Yena couldn’t help but ask a pressing question on his mind.

“Dr Richtofen, why are we doing this?” He watched the man inject the serum directly into the organ tissue.

“Why, did you not listen to anything Maxis told you?” He withdrew the needle from the body and began to walk away from him, discarding of the empty syringe. “We are looking for the trust barrier.”

Yena blanched. The trust barrier was not physical, it never had been. He felt weak.

“In this man’s spleen?” Yena half shouted, outraged by the stupidity of their experiment. 

“You look at me as if I am insane, Yena.” 

Suddenly it felt stiflingly hot. Sweat was beading across Yena’s brow and he could feel his fingers twitching again. He looked up at Richtofen and there was that odd look on his face again, almost daring him to let go. Yena clenched his teeth and tried to maintain his grip, but a mix of blood and serum was running down his fingers, he could feel his hands moving.

“Yena?” Richtofen spoke, his voice was quiet, testing, but not demanding. There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

He looked up.

Richtofen was watching him and not the patient. Yena gasped, his fingers slipping. It was clear his grip would fail him. Even Edward could see that.

But still he stood there, his hands clasped behind his back, watching in morbid curiosity. 

He tried to beg him for help, but no words came to his mouth. 

“Dr Richtofen, I can’t-”

He let go. 

In a horrid fear he watched as the body upon the table began to convulse, once, twice, then nothing. Blood had begun to pour from the incision. The heart rate monitor behind him sounded deafening, bleeping at an unnatural rate.

An unsustainable rate. 

He watched as the body grew paler, the monitor behind him sounding like nothing more than white noise. 

In the corner of his eye he spied Edward, the lamp above him illuminating him and so that for a moment he believed him to be God. God as he watched him, God as he judged him take a human life. 

He suddenly felt nauseous, bile rising at the back of his throat. 

He took a panicky breath and looked up at Edward. 

There was no strange smile upon his face, instead there was a scowl of deep hatred and Yena found himself questioning whether he had seen that smile at all. He felt foolish.

“You did this!” Edward shouted, his bloodied hands balling into fists. He watched as rage filled the German’s eyes causing them to glow an acid green. 

“Dr Richtofen, I-”

Yena dropped the forceps in a blind panic, flinching away from the German. 

“YOU TRAITOR!”

Yena fell to the ground, his hand immediately reaching up to his face where he had been struck. He tried and struggled to open his eye as he stumbled to his feet.

But it was in vain.

He collapsed, his arms failing to prevent his fall, his head hitting the concrete floor. 

For a moment he froze, waiting for Edward to kick him again. He closed his eyes.

But instead he heard the door beside him slam shut, the doctor storming from the room in fury. 

Yena untensed his body. 

He lay on his back, watching the ruby blood trickle from the body and drip down to the floor.

It hurt to breathe, but he would be okay. He was sure.


	3. The Removal of Edward Richtofen

Dr Harvey Yena held the document in his hands, they were trembling slightly.

It did not make happy reading.

The document in question was a letter, a letter outlining the removal of his superior from Group 935.

Whilst he wholeheartedly agreed with Dr Maxis’s decision, he did not want to be the one to tell his unstable colleague.

Involuntarily, his hand reached his face and traced under his eye, which had once been badly bruised after the failure with the Mexican subject.

He would be lucky if he escaped the day with the same injury. 

Dr Maxis had been kind enough to provide an armed guard if Edward proved to be uncooperative, but he had refused, fearing that it would only provoke the man’s psychotic nature.

He took a deep breath and knocked on Edward’s door.

He did not wait for a reply, knowing full well that he would not get one and so Yena entered Dr Richtofen’s office. 

The man in question was sat before his desk, making adjustments to the weapon that Yena could only describe as barbaric. Mass electrocution. It made his stomach lurch just thinking about it, but to actually plan and build such a weapon, he frowned in disgust. 

“Dr Richtofen,” Yena began, but the other only continued with his work, not bothering to look up at his visitor. Yena pressed on. 

“I have a letter signed by Dr Maxis for your immediate return to Die Riese.”

This did get Dr Richtofen’s attention. He looked up at Yena with an expression that could only be described as a smug taunt. It was a down right refusal. He would not be heeding Dr Maxis’ request. 

But Dr Richtofen didn’t have a choice. And so Yena ignored it and began to read from the letter. 

“You are to cease experimentation on the test subjects and your work on all other projects.”

In the corner of his eye, he watched as the smile disappeared from Edward’s face. Yena couldn’t help but feel slightly pleased upon seeing the change. It gave him courage. 

“Dr Maxis wishes to discuss your loyalty to Group 935 upon your return.”

Yena placed the letter before the doctor, facing him, resting on stock of the vile weapon. Edward did not look at it. Instead, he seemed to be staring off at something in front of him. Yena watched as the man’s whole body grew tense. His gloved hands balling into fists so tight that he could hear the soft leather squeak. 

“What lies have you been feeding Dr Maxis?” The German’s voice was low and dangerous. Their eyes met and all Yena could see was white hot hatred. 

“You have used 935’s resources for your own personal projects, you have threatened and acted violently towards your co-workers and you are suffering the effects of severe exposure to element 115.”

He watched as the man’s body began to tremor with rage.

He rose to his feet.

“LIES! YOU HAVE FED HIM LIES!” He slammed his fist down hard on the desk, causing everything that rested on it to jump. 

Yena held his breath, now regretting that he didn’t take up Dr Maxis’ offer. 

“Everything I have done has been for the good of Group 935 and you have the audacity to question _my_ loyalty?” Richtofen shook his head. “You have done this Dr Yena. You are a filthy American spy. You want to destroy Group 935 from within!” 

Yena steadied himself, not rising to the doctor’s threats, knowing no good would come from it. He was here to deliver a message. He did not have to stay and be subject to Dr Richtofen’s reaction to it. 

“You know I have done no such thing.” Yena replied calmly. “Your paranoia is the result of 115 induced delusions-” 

“115 INDUCED DELUSIONS!?” Edward yelled. Yena wisely took a step back. The German removed his cap and ran his fingers through his greying hair, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. His attention returned to the weapon that sat on his desk.

“Well at least I still have the DG-2.” 

Yena shifted his weight uncomfortably. He knew his next words would anger Edward even more greatly. Such a device could win the German’s the war, but that was not what worried Dr Yena. Edward’s obsession with the wonder weapon could only be described as unhealthy. There were times, when all Dr Richtofen would talk about was the capabilities of such a weapon for weeks on end. There were times, Yena was sure, that he had overheard his colleague actually talking to it, like a loving mother would its child. 

A weapon that could kill twelve people in seconds, cooking them from the inside out. 

Yena looked down at it in revulsion.

“Actually, no. Dr Maxis also wishes to seize the DG-2 from you and pull it from mass production.”

Yena ignored the murderous glare and reached out to pick up the weapon. He would take the DG-2 and have it sent to Dr Maxis. And if all things turned out correctly, he would never have to see Dr Edward Richtofen again. 

But Richtofen would never make it that easy. 

“If you lay even a finger on it, I will kill you!” Edward’s voice was black and venomous, Yena jerked his hand away. He did not doubt Edward’s words. 

Whilst failing to secure the DG-2 would be a major setback for him and Dr Maxis, Yena had no intention of being brutally murdered by his psychotic colleague. 

He looked up at him, his mouth was pulled back into a hateful snarl and his eyes gleamed with dark promises. Yena would not persevere any further. 

“If you have any issues, I suggest you bring them up with Dr Maxis.”

Richtofen gave a humourless laugh. It set his teeth on edge. 

“Oh, don’t you worry Herr Yena. I intend to bring up a great many things with Dr Maxis.”


	4. The Destruction of Group 935

Since his return to Die Riese, Edward’s behaviour had calmed considerably. He did not know what exactly Dr Maxis had said to his younger assistant, only that he was thankful for the change that it had brought about. Now Edward was far more quiet than Dr Yena had ever known him, always following Dr Maxis around like a small child. He had even begun to act squeamishly at the sight of blood. It was a welcome change, especially when Yena thought back to the incident with the Mexican subject. It was worrying to see how exposure to element 115 could change a person's psyche. 

Yena watched from the window as the pair began to calibrate the teleporter. It would be the last experiment for the evening, but perhaps also for a very long time. They were running out of test subjects, forced to experiment on Dr Maxis’ daughter’s pet dog. 

He turned away from the window, he had his own work to do. A number of Edward’s old projects had been shared between other members of the group and so Yena’s already mounting workload had greatly increased. He did not mind the extra work though if it meant that he would no longer suffer abuse from Dr Edward Richtofen. 

He returned to his small office and began to leaf through much of the documentation. Whilst it was clear that Edward had made progress, vast progress, it was progress in the wrong direction. Work that instead of protecting and healing human life only served to destroy it. It was a warmonger's work. No doubt German propaganda had played a part in Edward’s decisions, but how much of it had come from Edward’s own mind. Yena suspected a lot of it. 

He threw the paperwork back on his desk. He was going to have to get Dr Maxis to take a look at it. All of these resources wasted due to his colleague’s unsound mind. It would be easier to start again. Quickly he wrote a report of his findings, intending to give it to Dr Maxis before the end of the day. He hurried from his office along the corridor, but as he approached the office of the leader of Group 935, he stopped dead in his tracks. 

He could hear laughter. 

He knew the owner of the voice, but what worried him was the sound of it. 

It was the laughter of a madman, twisted and unhinged. 

And it was coming from Dr Maxis’ office. 

Tentatively, Yena approached the door and opened it, unsure what he would find on the other side. 

“Dr Richtofen?” Yena called out.

He was leaning casually against Dr Maxis’ desk, a grin across his lips. Yena had seen that smile before, it was a morbid grin, full of sadistic desires. So Edward had not recovered from his 115 exposure. And suddenly Yena began to wonder, what if it was not element 115 that had caused Edward’s behaviour, but something else, something far more natural. Edward had always had a questionable grasp on sanity.

“Where is Dr Maxis?” His question was not harsh or accusing and the innocence of it caused Richtofen’s grin to widen. 

And suddenly Dr Yena felt fear wash over him. He did not like that odd expression upon the German’s face and he did not like the crimes it seemed to betray. He slowly reached for his pistol and aimed it at Edward. 

He gave a low chuckle.

“Really Yena, If you’re going to aim a weapon at me, you should have the intention to use it.”

He ignored the snide remark.

“Where is Dr Maxis?” Yena repeated. This time more forcefully. 

Edward stood up and stalked closer, closer so that the barrel of the pistol was touching the man’s chest, hovering right over the man’s heart. If he were to pull the trigger, the man would be killed instantly. 

Yet, he was still smiling. 

“Dr Maxis is dead, Yena.” Richtofen began. “And so is his little brat of a daughter.”

The gun in his hands felt heavy. He could not meet Edward’s gaze, knowing that all he would see would be the manic expression of a lunatic. 

He felt sick, all he wanted to do was to leave that room, leave that facility and return to his homeland. Instead, he stared at his hands, holding the pistol. They were beginning to shake. He was terrified. 

“You… you’re a murderer!” Yena jabbed the barrel of the pistol into Edward’s chest. Trying, if anything, to push the madman away from him. 

His smile widened. He was grinning, fucking grinning.

Yena watched as the facade began to slip, revealing the true extent of his psychotic nature. He could see it in his eyes, something inhuman, something truly insane. Had he been hiding it all this time?

And suddenly there was a searing pain in his torso. Yena looked down and the pistol slipped from his fingers. He stared at the knife handle protruding from his body and the gloved hand still holding it. He felt it as it was ripped from his body. He gave a hoarse scream, but Richtofen was inattentive, instead he was staring at the knife, mesmerised. 

“It’s so gloriously red!” The German breathed.

Yena fell to his knees, his hands over his abdomen. He could feel the warm liquid coating his fingers. His breath was coming in small painful gasps and this seemed to turn Edward’s attention away from the bloodied knife that transfixed him so. 

Edward studied him, his expression cold and void, but in no way any less psychotic. 

Yena couldn’t read the other’s expression and truthfully, he didn’t want to. 

He seemed to be deciding something, most likely whether or not to stab him again, Yena suspected. 

“Murderer.” He hissed between gasps. His word earned him a small smile from the doctor, who patted him on the shoulder as he turned to leave the office. 

“Goodbye, Dr Yena.”

He never saw Doctor Richtofen again.


	5. Pandora's Box

It had been nearly two decades since Harvey Yena had even thought about Group 935. He had accepted his work with the Ascension Group wholeheartedly. He knew that the reason for his migration to Russia had been part of some kind of deal between the US and the Soviets, and he also knew that it had kept him alive.

It had also been two decades since he had thought about Dr Edward Richtofen. Upon the end of the war, Dr Yena had learnt that Richtofen had been in contact the the US, selling them scientific information, in return for what, Dr Yena did not know, but this was how, he had assumed, that Richtofen had learnt the identities of the American spies working for Group 935. If Dr Maxis had taken his assistant more seriously, Yena didn’t dare to think what could have happened. 

So he kept his head down and continued his work with Dr Gersch. It was menial work, almost what some would describe as pathetic to the likes of Group 935, but it gave him time. Time spent on sending reports home on Russian activity. 

It was early in the morning when he received the telegram. It consisted of nothing more than four words, but it was still enough to bring his world crashing down. 

_Edward Richtofen is alive._

Those four words filled him with fear and anger.

The telegram had been sent by a carrier named Schuster, Dr Schuster. 

Yena did not know what had become of Schuster after the war. Truthfully he had thought him dead.

He had thought them all dead. 

He had buried them, ignored them. _That_ work was over.

He felt rage. Did Schuster know what this man had done?

And if he did, he should put a bullet in that man’s brain. 

And suddenly it all came back to him.

He staggered, bile rising in his throat as unwelcome memories filled his mind. 

“Dr Yena, are you alright?” 

He turned to face Dr Gersch who was watching him in worry. He didn’t know if he should tell him, he didn’t know if he could tell him. Much of Edward’s work had survived the war and had been used in the Ascension Group research, yet much of it also betrayed the decline in sanity of his former colleague. There had been times when he was tempted to burn it, all of it, especially that damned diary.

Yena had no intention of telling him that the author of such insane and fanatic writings was still alive. 

“I’m fine, Dr Gersch.” He tried to steady his voice. “Just some bad news.” 

He expected Gersch to press for more questions, but this time he didn’t. Instead, he nodded at Yena and returned to his work. 

But what now?

He had so many questions that needed answering. The most important being, what exactly had the man been doing for the past seventeen years. He doubted that he had simply returned to civilian life, helping old ladies cross the street, walking to the shops for a pint of milk... This man was a murderer and he had smiled as he told him so. 

He thought about how best to contact Dr Schuster. Messages in and out of the facility were closely monitored. Most likely his superiors had already been notified of Dr Schuster’s little message. 

But then he thought better of it. It would be like opening Pandora’s box.

He was through with the morbid works of Group 935. It had only caused pain and suffering. He was not sure he wanted that man, the man who had threatened to kill him, the man who had punched him, kicked him, stabbed him, to find out that he knew he was still alive. He was certain this time he would wind up dead. 

And then there were other issues, how did he know the telegram was genuine, or that indeed Edward Richtofen _was_ actually still alive. He had no way to prove it. 

Yes, he had believed them dead. And nothing was going to change that. 

He reached for his lighter and lit the small scrap of paper. It was gone in seconds.


End file.
